Linux Air Combat Files

This folder contains BETA TEST VERSIONS of Linux Air Combat and associated tools. Everything published here has been subjected to alpha testing in the LAC development labs, but has NOT had much testing beyond that. Proceed with caution.




Update 27Apr2026

We have begun publishing new Version 9.93 for beta testing. Accordingly, during the next few days you will see more and more files here, each for different environments or with different installation preferences. 

The file named "Lac09p93bSourceCodePrecompiledFor64BitRaspberryPi.tar" contains the full source code for Version 9.93 with the few modifications that optimize it for use on arm hardware for Raspberry Pi OS, along with all of the other associated resource files (".wav" files containing music and sound effects, ".3ds files containing 3d graphical objects like aircraft, etc.) Use it to compile for Raspberry Pi.

The file named "Lac09p93b.tar.gz" contains the full source code for Version 9.93 with general-purpose optimizations for industry-standard "x86" hardware. Use it to compile for mainstream linux distros. It also contains all of the other associated resource files (".wav" files containing music and sound effects, ".3ds files containing 3d graphical objects like aircraft, etc.) Use it to compile for desktop LINUX distros on any kind of hardware (but if NOT on industry-standard X86 hardware, you may need to activate or de-activate one or more compiler flags in "common.h").

The file named "Lac993B-x86_64.AppImage" is the precompiled AppImage version and it runs on all of the most popular desktop LINUX distros for industry-standard "x86" hardware architecture according to the well-known AppImage conventions. It is easy to configure LAC for almost any kind of joystick or console game controller as your primary flight command hardware, but this version is preconfigured to use a standard keyboard, numeric keypad, and Logitech Extreme 3dPro joystick for primary flight controls, as documented in our main web page here:

https://www.askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LacOnlineDocs.htm

The file named "Lac993bForSteamDeck-x86_64.AppImage" is very similar to the file named "Lac993B-x86_64.AppImage", but the flight controls are preconfigured for the valve "Steam Deck", and mumble is interfaced through a "flatpack" sandbox in accordance with common SteamDeck norms, as documented here:

https://www.askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LacAndSteamDeck.htm



As always, you can find a description of all new features in every version of LAC ever published by consulting our online "ChangeLog" web page here:

https://www.askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LinuxAirCombatChangeLog.htm











Update 20Apr2026

We promoted Version 9.92 from BetaTest to Production Status. Accordingly, this "BetaTest" folder is now empty.Look for production downloads of 9.92 versions in the production folders of our download area here on SourceForge.net.






Update 01Apr2026

We are releasing new version 9.92 for beta testing for a month or so. This version builds on the prior beta-test version 9.91 and includes all of its features plus just a few more, intended to improve the initial experience for new players. If no serious problems are discovered in version 9.92, we plan to move it into our "Production" download areas some time in Apr2026. As always, you can find a summary of changes in every published version of LAC in our online ChangeLog page here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LinuxAirCombatChangeLog.htm







Update 17Mar2026

We are releasing new version 9.91 for beta testing for a month or so. Expect to see Lac09p91e.tar.gz here. That archive will contain full source code and all associated resource files (audio in .wav format, textures, 3d models, etc) a Makefile, and everything else you will need to compile and install LAC on pretty much any popular desktop LINUX system. Soon thereafter you can expect to see Lac991E-x86_64.AppImage (our precompiled, self-contained, executable binary for X86 hardware on all popular desktop LINUX systems. 

We also plan to release Lac09p91WithSourceCodePrecompiledForRaspberryPi5.tar with everything needed for compiling and installing on Raspberry Pi hardware. Soon thereafter we plan to publish a script for Raspberry Pi, to be named Lac991BetaTestDownloadInstallScriptFor64BitRaspberryPi4orPi5.sh, that will access this BetaTest archive, download the Raspberry Pi optimized source code, compile it for the Pi's ARM hardware architecture, and install it on your Raspberry Pi at /usr/bin/lac for easy access from anywhere in your Pi filesystem.






Update 09Feb2026

We moved Version 9.88 into our "Production" download areas, replacing older versions and leaving this "Beta Test" download area empty. As always, you can learn the details about every released version of LAC from our online ChangeLog page here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LinuxAirCombatChangeLog.htm






Update 28Jul2025

We released new version 9.83 (Lac08p83) for beta testing here on 28Jul2025 as a source-code archive. This new version derives directly from beta-test version 9.82 and improves startup timing with a new 3-second delay between launching mumble and displaying LAC's startup menus. As always, you can learn additional details from our online ChangeLog page here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LinuxAirCombatChangeLog.htm








Update 23Jun2025

We released new version 9.82 (Lac09p82) for beta testing here on 21Jun2025 as a source-code archive. Then, on 23Jun2025, we released the corresponding  AppImage version here, named "Lac09p82-x86_64.AppImage". This new version  9.82 will be of particular interest to users whose LINUX desktop manager has been upgraded from the venerable old "X11" to the more modern, more secure "Wayland" version, due to mumble-related complexities under Wayland.

As always, you can learn the details about every released version of LAC from our online ChangeLog page here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LinuxAirCombatChangeLog.htm







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Update 11Dec2024:

We moved Version 9.77 into our "Production" download areas, leaving this "Beta Test" download area empty. As always, you can learn the details about every released version of LAC from our online ChangeLog page here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/LinuxAirCombatChangeLog.htm





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IT IS COMMONPLACE TO FIND NO FILES HERE AT ALL. IN THAT CASE, EXPLORE THE OTHER DOWNLOAD AREAS FOR OUR PRODUCTION-QUALITY PACKAGES.

Any files published here can be used to install BETA-TEST versions of Linux Air Combat (LAC) on desktop LINUX systems. From time to time we publish various types of archive packages for beta testing as follows:

*.tar.gz  files contain source code that can be compiled on all popular desktop LINUX systems (including Raspberry Pi). You will also need to install several prerequisite popular, free, industry-standard software libraries. These are almost always available from your distro's repository according to well-established norms. Most LINXU distros will require you to install only the following two libraries (which will, in turn, automatically install others for you):

1 of 2: freeglut3 or libglut3
2 of 2: Sdl Mixer (for sdl 1.2)

*.AppImage files are precompiled, linked with all required libraries, and ready to execute on industry-standard "X86" computers running any popular desktop LINUX distro.

*.SteamDeck.AppImage files are like the general-purpose AppImage files described above, but they are optimized for use on the Valve "SteamDeck" portable gaming PC.